Loom



J. E. DUELKS.

LOOM.

. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. I920- 1,388,808. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

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J. E. DUELKS.

LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED 00122. 1920.

1,388,808. 7 I Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

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lwvemtoz JACOB n. DUELKS, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

Loom.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A11 23, 1921.

Application filed October 22,1920. Serial No. 418,696.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB E. DUnLKs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Readville, Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Looms, of

.which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in looms of the kind used in the weaving offabrics of various kinds having inter woven warp and weft threads and it pertains more particularly to the shuttle mechanism thereof. The primary object of the in vention is to provide novel and improved mechanism, whereby a more certain pick is secured, the mechanism is relatively compact and light in weight, it requiring relatively small space'on the loom, it avoids or reduces to a minimum thewear and tear on the loom and its parts, especially the picker mechanism, and it otherwise insures a more 1economical and efficient operation of the oom.

To these and other ends, the invention;

consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements. of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the

features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the speci-. fication. I i

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of apickermech anism mounted on the left hand end of the lay of a" loom;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view mechanism shown in'Fig. l; I

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the shuttle mechanism shown in Fig. '1, as viewed from the right; v I i Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view of the picker locking and releasing device; and

Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of the picker locking and tripping device as viewed from the left'in Fig. 4:. I Y

Similar parts are designated by thesame reference characters in the SGVQIEtlVlGWS.

Picker actuating mechanism embodying the present invention is applicable gener ally to looms of various kinds, such, forex-.,

ample, as those used on broad silk, woolen, worsted and cotton. Thepreferredembodr ment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and willbe hereinafter described in detail. It is to be; understood, however, that the invention is not restricted of the shuttle v X of the shuttle upon striklng the picker and to the precise construction shown, as equivalent constructions are contemplated and these willbe included within the scope of the claims. i

Inthe present instance, the numeral 1 represents one end of the lay of a loomand which, as well understood in this art, has a to-and-fro movement in a direction longitudinally of the loom ortlie warp threads,.the lay usually swinging about a definite transverse aXis; The shuttle 2'which contains the stood that a picker-driving mechanism is provided at each side of the loom or at each end of the lay, and these mechanismsmay be of substantially duplicate construction, except that they impart reverse impulses to the shuttle to effect the necessary reciprocating movements thereof. Each shuttle-driv-Q ing mechanism comprises a' picker shaft 4 which is guided bysultable bearings 5 in a bracket 6, so as to reciprocate in a direction transversely of the loom or longitudinally of the lay, the bracketdbeing bolted f or otherwise fixed to the lay, so that it projects laterally beyond the side frame of the loom; The picker 3 is connected to the icker shaft byan arm 7, and in order to prevent rebound to minimize shock due to the impact of the shuttle against the picker, this arm 7'1spreferablyisplined on the picker shaft so that it '7 may have a limitedmovement longitudinally thereof, and a compression or shock-absorbing spring 8 is interposed between the outer side of this arm and aretaining or adjusting nut 9 on the picker shaft. The picker shaft is provided with. one or more key-ways'lO fto cooperate with keys inlthe bearings 5, so

that .w'hile this shaft may reciprocate longitudinally, it will be held from rotation. v The operating or shuttle-driving strokes ofthe picker shaft are .efiected by a suitable spring, the spring 11 employed for this purpose in the present instance being a tension spring and having one end fixed at 12 to a part of the fixed'bracket 6 and having its opposite 'end attached at 13 to a collar 14-, the latter being clamped or otherwise fixed on the picker shaft, so that the tension of the spring 11 acts to force the picker shaft toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2. The collar 14, when the picker shaft is fully retracted, may abut against a part of the bracket 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it thus acting as a stop to limit. the return strokes of the picker shaft. The picker shaft is locked or otherwise held in its retracted position and is released at the proper moment, by a dog 15 which has a blade arranged to enter a notch 16 1n the picker shaft, when the latter is fully 'retracted, the dog being normally forced toward the picker shaft by a spring 17 and the dog having a shank or stem 18 which is guided to reciprocate in a part of the bracket 6. The dog is also provided with an eye 19, into which fits an endof a controlling lever 20, the latter being provided at 21 onLa part of the bracket 6, and having its opposite end 22 projecting into a position where it may be acted on by a releasing device, which will be hereinafter described. g

The picker shaft is periodically retracted,

preferably by a gear 23, which has a gear segment 24 extending around a part of its, circumference and arranged to coiiperate with a toothed rack on the picker shaft, so that each revolution of the gear 23 will cause the gear segment 24 to cofjperate withv the rack 25 (assuming that the picker shaft has made a stroke to drive the shuttle) and the retracting action of the gear 23 continues until the picker shaft reaches a position where the notch or slot 16 therein registers with the dog 15, whereupon the latter will snap into the notch or slot 16 and at the same moment the rear end of the gear segment 24 will pass off of the rack 25. The collar 14 will prevent overthrow of the picker shaftv on its return stroke. The gear 23 is fixed on a. shaft 26 which is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame 6, and it is connected by beveled gears 27, or equivalent means, to

l a shaft 28, which shaft is also journaled in suitable hearings on the frame 6. The shaft 28 serves to drive the gear 23 and it also controls the, tripping of the picker shaft. For these purposes, it is provided at one end with an arm 29 which is fixed thereto at the proper angle and this arm carries a lifter finger 30, which rotates inthe plane at the end 22 of the controlling lever 20, and the shaft 28, at a certain part of its forward rotation, brings the lifter finger 30 up against the end 22 of the controlling lever, thus rocking the latter and causing the dog 19 to release the picker shaft, permitting the latter to impel the picker on its shuttle-driving stroke under the action of the spring 11. Preferably, the lifter finger 30 is hinged, as shown,so that it may bend over and thus clear the controlling lever, thus avoidingtripping of the picker shaft, so that the shuttle may remain in the shuttle box, should it become necessary for any reason to'reverse the direction of rotation of the picker-driving mechanism.

Preferably, the to-and-fro movements of the lay relatively to the fixed frame of the loom are utilized to tension the actuating spring for the picker shaft and to trip the picker shaft at the appropriate time. As shown, a rack bar 31is fixed by a bracket 32 to the respective side frame of the loom, this rack having curved racks 33 and 34 on its 1113- per and lower sides which are concentric with the axis about which the lay swings. A pair of gears 35 and 36, which are of the same pitch diameter, are arranged to cotiperate with the upper and lower racks 33 and 34 and these gearseach revolve once to each pick of the shuttle. These gears 35 and 36 are fixed to revolve with pinions 37 and 38, the latter being journaled 0nstuds 39 and 40, which are fixed to the bracket 6, and they cotiperate withaninterposed pinion 41 which is of the same pitch diameter and is journaled on'a'stud 42 fixed to the bracket 6.

The pinion 41 meshes with a gear 43 which is twice the diameter of the pinion 41 and this gear 43 is fixed to the shaft 28. the construction just described, it will be understood,

that for each pick of the shuttle, the gears and 36 and in consequence, the pinion 41 Wlll revolve once, and owing to the 2 to 1 ratio of transmission between the pinion 41 and the shaft 28 and the equal gear ratio connecting the shaft 28 to the shaft 26, the gear 23 will rotate a half revolution to each pick. The gears35 and 36, however, arev lnterrupted gears, their toothed peripheries in a forward direction by the throw of the lay.

in one directiomdue to the rolling of its gear surface on the lower rack '34, and when theend of the throw of the lay is reached, the toothed part of the gear 36will pass off of the toothed rack 34 and the toothed part of the v gear 35 will become engaged with the upper toothed rack 33, and the return motion of the lay will cause the gear 35 to be driven in a forward direction, the upper gear 35 being disengaged with the upper rack and the lower gear 36 becoming engaged with the lower rack, when the lay reaches the end of itsreturn stroke. By this arrangement, the shuttle-drivingmechanism is maintained in proper timed relation to the throws of the lay, the shuttle-driving mechanism is always driven forwardly, although the lay has a reciprocating movement, and furthermore, the gears 35 and 36 become. engaged and disengaged relatively to their respective racks33 and34, without jar,'shock or noise. It will also be understood that the'gears 23' of-the picker mechanism at opposite sides 'of the ning gear 23 with two gear segments 24,

loom, will be set in reverse relation; that is to say, the gear segmentflt of the gear 23 at one side of the loom, will be diametrically opposite to the corresponding gear segment at the opposite side of-the loom, in consequence of which, the picker mechanisms at opposite sides of the loom will pick the shuttle alternately. Each picker is driven by its spring, after the same has been tripped by withdrawal of the dog 15, and when the picker has reached the end of its stroke, the rack 25 on the picker shaft will be in a position to be engaged by the gear segment on the spanning gear 23, and the forward rotation of this gear retracts the picker until it latches and becomes locked by the dog 15.

Obviously the mechanism herein shown and described may be used on a shuttlechange or box-loom, by providing each spanwhich will be located at diametrically opposite points, andby providing each shaft 28 with a second lifter finger, which will be located diametrically opposite to the lifter finger 30 shown. i

Shuttle-operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention is positive and certain in its action and it im-' parts swift picker strokes to the shuttle so that it is particularly applicable to looms used for the weaving of relatively wide fabrics. Although the shuttle strokes are swift, the impulses or picks are imparted to the shuttle substantially without impactbetween the picker and the shuttle, the speed with which the shuttle is driven being derived from the accelerating action of the actuating spring, and in consequence, the wear and tear on the loom and particularly the pickers is greatly reduced and the loom operates without shock or noise, or substantially so. Moreover, the loom is capable of operating at increased speed, and by avoiding the use of the usual picker sticks, the usual cause for the frequent replacement of parts is eliminated.

- I claim as my invention 1. In a loom having a lay and a main frame, picker mechanism I comprising a picker shaft, a spring for actuating the same on its shuttle-driving stroke, and direct gearing continuously connecting the lay and main frame and driven directly and continuously by the beats of the lay in both directions to retract said shaft against its spring and to release it to be driven forward on its shuttle-driving stroke by said spring.

2. In a loom having a lay, picker-operating mechanism comprising apicker-driving 7 member, avspring operative to actuate the pickers-driving member on its shuttle-pickin stroke by power stored-in such spring, and means including a member movable continuously and always in the same direction by and in consequencerof the to-and-fro beats of'the lay and operative periodically to store powenin said spring.

cally to store such power in said device.

4. In a loom having a lay, shuttle-operating mechanism comprising a picker shaft, a

device cooperative therewith capableof storing power sufficient to impart a pick to the shuttle, means for restoring said shaft to a normally retracted position and for thus storing such power in' said device, a dog movable automatically into locking engagement with the picker shaft when the latter has been fully retracted, and gearing forming a motion-transmitting. connection between the lay andthe main frame and driven by and in response to the beats of the lay for periodically operating said restoring means and subsequently retracting said dog.

5. In a loom, shuttle-operating mechanism comprising a reciprocatory picker-shaft having a picker associated therewith, a spring acting to drive said shaft in'one direction, a rack connected to the'sha'ft, a gear segment cooperative with the rack to retract the picker-shaft after the latter has been driven by said spring and disengaging from said rack while said shaft is in retracted position, and means for holding the pickenshaft in retracted position and for releasing it.

the beats of the lay and operative periodi- 6. In a loom, shuttle-operating mechanism comprising a reciprocatory picker-shaft having a picker associated therewith, a spring acting to impel said shaft on its shuttle-picking stroke, a rack connected to the picker-shaft, a gear segment rotatable in one direction and cooperative with said rack ving a pair of racks to cooperate with the respective gears, and the gears having re versely-positioned interruptions to cause a1- ternate engagement of the gears With the respective racks, and means driven uni-directionally by said gears.

8. In a loom driving means for the shuttle-operating mechanism thereof comprising a pair ofracks, a pair of gears reciprocable in unison longitudinally of the' racks and respectively cooperative therewith, said gears having interrupted portions to cause alternate engagement of the gears withv the 1 respective racks during the relative reciproeating movements between theracks and the gears, and gearing connecting said gears to 15 cause simultaneous rotation thereof in the same direction, said gearing being driven uni-directionally by said gears. s .In testimony whereof I haveihereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 20 nesses.

vJACOB E. DUELKS. Witnesses:

EDWARD J. MORGAN, c 1 LOUISE C. RODMAN. 

